Planets in descending order. Solar system: description of the planets by size and in the correct sequence

solar system is one of 200 billion star systems located in the Milky Way galaxy. It is located approximately midway between the center of the galaxy and its edge.
The solar system is a certain cluster of celestial bodies that are connected by gravitational forces to a star (the Sun). It includes: the central body - the Sun, 8 large planets with their satellites, several thousand small planets or asteroids, several hundred observed comets and an infinite number of meteoroids.

Major planets are divided into 2 main groups:
- terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars);
- planets of the Jupiter group or giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune).
There is no place for Pluto in this classification. In 2006, it was found that Pluto, due to its small size and great distance from the Sun, has a low gravitational field and its orbit is not similar to the neighboring orbits of planets closer to the Sun. In addition, the elongated ellipsoidal orbit of Pluto (for the other planets it is almost circular) intersects with the orbit of the eighth planet of the solar system - Neptune. That is why, recently, it was decided to deprive Pluto of its “planet” status.

Terrestrial planets relatively small and have a high density. Their main components are silicates (silicon compounds) and iron. U giant planets There is practically no hard surface. These are huge gas planets, formed mainly from hydrogen and helium, the atmosphere of which gradually thickens and smoothly turns into a liquid mantle.
Of course the main elements The solar system is the sun. Without it, all planets, including ours, would fly apart over vast distances, and perhaps even beyond the boundaries of the galaxy. It is the Sun, due to its enormous mass (99.87% of the mass of the entire solar system), that creates an incredibly powerful gravitational effect on all planets, their satellites, comets and asteroids, forcing each of them to rotate in its own orbit.

IN solar system In addition to the planets, there are two areas filled with small bodies (dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, meteorites). The first area is Asteroid Belt, which is located between Mars and Jupiter. Its composition is similar to that of the terrestrial planets, as it consists of silicates and metals. Beyond Neptune there is a second region called Kuiper Belt. It contains many objects (mostly dwarf planets) consisting of frozen water, ammonia and methane, the largest of which is Pluto.

The Keupner Belt begins just after the orbit of Neptune.

Its outer ring ends at a distance

8.25 billion km from the Sun. This is a huge ring around the whole

The solar system is infinite

the amount of volatile substances from ice floes: methane, ammonia and water.

The Asteroid Belt is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

The outer boundary is located 345 million km from the Sun.

Contains tens of thousands, possibly millions of objects, more than one

kilometers in diameter. The largest of them are dwarf planets

(diameter from 300 to 900 km).

All planets and most other objects orbit the Sun in the same direction as the Sun's rotation (counterclockwise when viewed from the Sun's north pole). Mercury has the highest angular velocity - it manages to complete a full revolution around the Sun in just 88 Earth days. And for the most distant planet - Neptune - the orbital period is 165 Earth years. Most of the planets rotate around their axis in the same direction as they revolve around the Sun. The exceptions are Venus and Uranus, and Uranus rotates almost “lying on its side” (axis tilt is about 90°).

Previously it was assumed that border of the solar system ends just after the orbit of Pluto. However, in 1992, new celestial bodies were discovered that undoubtedly belong to our system, since they are directly under the gravitational influence of the Sun.

Each celestial object is characterized by such concepts as a year and a day. Year- this is the time during which a body revolves around the Sun at an angle of 360 degrees, that is, makes a full circle. A day is the period of rotation of the body around its own axis. The closest planet from the Sun, Mercury, orbits the Sun in 88 Earth days, and around its axis in 59 days. This means that even less than two days pass on the planet in one year (for example, on Earth, one year includes 365 days, i.e. that is exactly how many times the Earth turns around its axis in one revolution around the Sun). While on the most distant dwarf planet from the Sun, Pluto, a day is 153.12 hours (6.38 Earth days). And the period of revolution around the Sun is 247.7 Earth years. That is, only our great-great-great-great-grandchildren will see the moment when Pluto finally passes all the way along its orbit.

galactic year. In addition to its circular motion in orbit, the Solar System performs vertical oscillations relative to the galactic plane, crossing it every 30-35 million years and ending up either in the northern or in the southern galactic hemisphere.
Disturbing factor for planets solar system is their gravitational influence on each other. It slightly changes the orbit compared to the one in which each planet would move under the influence of the Sun alone. The question is whether these disturbances can accumulate until the planet falls on the Sun or moves beyond solar system, or they are periodic in nature and the orbital parameters will only fluctuate around some average values. The results of theoretical and research work carried out by astronomers over the past 200 years speak in favor of the second assumption. This is also evidenced by the data of geology, paleontology and other earth sciences: for 4.5 billion years, the distance of our planet from the Sun has practically not changed. And in the future, neither falling on the Sun nor leaving solar system, like the Earth, and other planets are not threatened.

The endless space that surrounds us is not just a huge airless space and emptiness. Here everything is subject to a single and strict order, everything has its own rules and obeys the laws of physics. Everything is in constant motion and is constantly interconnected with each other. This is a system in which each celestial body occupies its specific place. The center of the Universe is surrounded by galaxies, among which is our Milky Way. Our galaxy, in turn, is formed by stars around which large and small planets with their natural satellites revolve. The picture of a universal scale is complemented by wandering objects - comets and asteroids.

In this endless cluster of stars our Solar System is located - a tiny astrophysical object by cosmic standards, which includes our cosmic home - planet Earth. For us earthlings, the size of the solar system is colossal and difficult to perceive. In terms of the scale of the Universe, these are tiny numbers - only 180 astronomical units or 2.693e+10 km. Here, too, everything is subject to its own laws, has its own clearly defined place and sequence.

Brief characteristics and description

The interstellar medium and the stability of the Solar System are ensured by the location of the Sun. Its location is an interstellar cloud included in the Orion-Cygnus arm, which in turn is part of our galaxy. From a scientific point of view, our Sun is located on the periphery, 25 thousand light years from the center of the Milky Way, if we consider the galaxy in the diametrical plane. In turn, the movement of the solar system around the center of our galaxy is carried out in orbit. A complete revolution of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way is carried out in different ways, within 225-250 million years and is one galactic year. The orbit of the Solar System has an inclination of 600 to the galactic plane. Nearby, in the neighborhood of our system, other stars and other solar systems with their large and small planets are running around the center of the galaxy.

The approximate age of the Solar System is 4.5 billion years. Like most objects in the Universe, our star was formed as a result of the Big Bang. The origin of the Solar System is explained by the same laws that operated and continue to operate today in the fields of nuclear physics, thermodynamics and mechanics. First, a star was formed, around which, due to the ongoing centripetal and centrifugal processes, the formation of planets began. The Sun was formed from a dense accumulation of gases - a molecular cloud, which was the product of a colossal Explosion. As a result of centripetal processes, molecules of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and other elements were compressed into one continuous and dense mass.

The result of grandiose and such large-scale processes was the formation of a protostar, in the structure of which thermonuclear fusion began. We observe this long process, which began much earlier, today, looking at our Sun 4.5 billion years after its formation. The scale of the processes occurring during the formation of a star can be imagined by assessing the density, size and mass of our Sun:

• density is 1.409 g/cm3;
• the volume of the Sun is almost the same figure - 1.40927x1027 m3;
• star mass – 1.9885x1030 kg.

Today our Sun is an ordinary astrophysical object in the Universe, not the smallest star in our galaxy, but far from the largest. The Sun is in its mature age, being not only the center of the solar system, but also the main factor in the emergence and existence of life on our planet.

The final structure of the solar system falls on the same period, with a difference of plus or minus half a billion years. The mass of the entire system, where the Sun interacts with other celestial bodies of the Solar System, is 1.0014 M☉. In other words, all the planets, satellites and asteroids, cosmic dust and particles of gases revolving around the Sun, compared to the mass of our star, are a drop in the bucket.

The way we have an idea of ​​our star and the planets revolving around the Sun is a simplified version. The first mechanical heliocentric model of the solar system with a clock mechanism was presented to the scientific community in 1704. It should be taken into account that the orbits of the planets of the solar system do not all lie in the same plane. They rotate around at a certain angle.

The model of the solar system was created on the basis of a simpler and more ancient mechanism - tellurium, with the help of which the position and movement of the Earth in relation to the Sun was simulated. With the help of tellurium, it was possible to explain the principle of the movement of our planet around the Sun and to calculate the duration of the earth's year.

The simplest model of the solar system is presented in school textbooks, where each of the planets and other celestial bodies occupies a certain place. It should be taken into account that the orbits of all objects revolving around the Sun are located at different angles to the central plane of the Solar System. The planets of the Solar System are located at different distances from the Sun, rotate at different speeds and rotate differently around their own axis.

A map - a diagram of the Solar System - is a drawing where all objects are located in the same plane. In this case, such an image gives an idea only of the sizes of celestial bodies and the distances between them. Thanks to this interpretation, it became possible to understand the location of our planet among other planets, to assess the scale of celestial bodies and to give an idea of ​​the enormous distances that separate us from our celestial neighbors.

Planets and other objects of the solar system

Almost the entire universe is made up of myriads of stars, among which there are large and small solar systems. The presence of a star with its own satellite planets is a common occurrence in space. The laws of physics are the same everywhere and our solar system is no exception.

If you ask the question how many planets there were in the solar system and how many there are today, it is quite difficult to answer unequivocally. Currently, the exact location of 8 major planets is known. In addition, 5 small dwarf planets revolve around the Sun. The existence of a ninth planet is currently disputed in scientific circles.

The entire solar system is divided into groups of planets, which are arranged in the following order:

Terrestrial planets:

• Mercury;
• Venus;
• Mars.

Gas planets - giants:

• Jupiter;
• Saturn;
• Uranus;
• Neptune.

All planets presented in the list differ in structure and have different astrophysical parameters. Which planet is larger or smaller than the others? The sizes of the planets of the solar system are different. The first four objects, similar in structure to the Earth, have a solid rock surface and are endowed with an atmosphere. Mercury, Venus and Earth are the inner planets. Mars closes this group. Following it are the gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - dense, spherical gas formations.

The process of life of the planets of the solar system does not stop for a second. Those planets that we see in the sky today are the arrangement of celestial bodies that the planetary system of our star has at the current moment. The state that existed at the dawn of the formation of the solar system is strikingly different from what has been studied today.

The astrophysical parameters of modern planets are indicated by the table, which also shows the distance of the planets of the Solar System to the Sun.

The existing planets of the solar system are approximately the same age, but there are theories that in the beginning there were more planets. This is evidenced by numerous ancient myths and legends that describe the presence of other astrophysical objects and disasters that led to the death of the planet. This is confirmed by the structure of our star system, where, along with planets, there are objects that are products of violent cosmic cataclysms.

A striking example of such activity is the asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Objects of extraterrestrial origin are concentrated here in huge numbers, mainly represented by asteroids and small planets. It is these irregularly shaped fragments that are considered in human culture to be the remains of the protoplanet Phaeton, which perished billions of years ago as a result of a large-scale cataclysm.

In fact, there is an opinion in scientific circles that the asteroid belt was formed as a result of the destruction of a comet. Astronomers have discovered the presence of water on the large asteroid Themis and on the small planets Ceres and Vesta, which are the largest objects in the asteroid belt. Ice found on the surface of asteroids may indicate the cometary nature of the formation of these cosmic bodies.

Previously one of the major planets, Pluto is not considered a full-fledged planet today.

Pluto, which was previously ranked among the large planets of the solar system, is today reduced to the size of dwarf celestial bodies revolving around the Sun. Pluto, along with Haumea and Makemake, the largest dwarf planets, is located in the Kuiper belt.

These dwarf planets of the solar system are located in the Kuiper belt. The region between the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud is the most distant from the Sun, but space is not empty there either. In 2005, the most distant celestial body of our solar system, the dwarf planet Eris, was discovered there. The process of exploration of the most distant regions of our solar system continues. The Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud are hypothetically the border regions of our star system, the visible boundary. This cloud of gas is located at a distance of one light year from the Sun and is the region where comets, the wandering satellites of our star, are born.

Characteristics of the planets of the solar system

The terrestrial group of planets is represented by the planets closest to the Sun - Mercury and Venus. These two cosmic bodies of the solar system, despite the similarity in physical structure with our planet, are a hostile environment for us. Mercury is the smallest planet in our star system and is closest to the Sun. The heat of our star literally incinerates the surface of the planet, practically destroying its atmosphere. The distance from the surface of the planet to the Sun is 57,910,000 km. In size, only 5 thousand km in diameter, Mercury is inferior to most large satellites, which are dominated by Jupiter and Saturn.

Saturn's satellite Titan has a diameter of over 5 thousand km, Jupiter's satellite Ganymede has a diameter of 5265 km. Both satellites are second in size only to Mars.

The very first planet rushes around our star at tremendous speed, making a full revolution around our star in 88 Earth days. It is almost impossible to notice this small and nimble planet in the starry sky due to the close presence of the solar disk. Among the terrestrial planets, it is on Mercury that the largest daily temperature differences are observed. While the surface of the planet facing the Sun heats up to 700 degrees Celsius, the back side of the planet is immersed in universal cold with temperatures up to -200 degrees.

The main difference between Mercury and all the planets in the solar system is its internal structure. Mercury has the largest iron-nickel inner core, which accounts for 83% of the mass of the entire planet. However, even this uncharacteristic quality did not allow Mercury to have its own natural satellites.

Next to Mercury is the closest planet to us - Venus. The distance from Earth to Venus is 38 million km, and it is very similar to our Earth. The planet has almost the same diameter and mass, slightly inferior in these parameters to our planet. However, in all other respects, our neighbor is fundamentally different from our cosmic home. The period of Venus' revolution around the Sun is 116 Earth days, and the planet rotates extremely slowly around its own axis. The average surface temperature of Venus rotating around its axis over 224 Earth days is 447 degrees Celsius.

Like its predecessor, Venus lacks the physical conditions conducive to the existence of known life forms. The planet is surrounded by a dense atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Both Mercury and Venus are the only planets in the solar system that do not have natural satellites.

Earth is the last of the inner planets of the solar system, located at a distance of approximately 150 million km from the Sun. Our planet makes one revolution around the Sun every 365 days. Rotates around its own axis in 23.94 hours. The Earth is the first of the celestial bodies located on the path from the Sun to the periphery, which has a natural satellite.

Digression: The astrophysical parameters of our planet are well studied and known. Earth is the largest and densest planet of all the other inner planets in the solar system. It is here that natural physical conditions have been preserved under which the existence of water is possible. Our planet has a stable magnetic field that holds the atmosphere. Earth is the most well studied planet. The subsequent study is mainly of not only theoretical interest, but also practical one.

Mars closes the parade of terrestrial planets. The subsequent study of this planet is mainly not only of theoretical interest, but also of practical interest, associated with human exploration of extraterrestrial worlds. Astrophysicists are attracted not only by the relative proximity of this planet to Earth (on average 225 million km), but also by the absence of difficult climatic conditions. The planet is surrounded by an atmosphere, although it is in an extremely rarefied state, has its own magnetic field, and temperature differences on the surface of Mars are not as critical as on Mercury and Venus.

Like Earth, Mars has two satellites - Phobos and Deimos, the natural nature of which has recently been questioned. Mars is the last fourth planet with a rocky surface in the solar system. Following the asteroid belt, which is a kind of inner boundary of the solar system, begins the kingdom of gas giants.

The largest cosmic celestial bodies of our solar system

The second group of planets that are part of the system of our star has bright and large representatives. These are the largest objects in our solar system, which are considered the outer planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the most distant from our star, huge by earthly standards and their astrophysical parameters. These celestial bodies are distinguished by their massiveness and composition, which is mainly gaseous in nature.

The main beauties of the solar system are Jupiter and Saturn. The total mass of this pair of giants would be enough to fit in it the mass of all known celestial bodies of the Solar System. So Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, weighs 1876.64328 1024 kg, and the mass of Saturn is 561.80376 1024 kg. These planets have the most natural satellites. Some of them, Titan, Ganymede, Callisto and Io, are the largest satellites of the Solar System and are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets.

The largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, has a diameter of 140 thousand km. In many respects, Jupiter more closely resembles a failed star - a striking example of the existence of a small solar system. This is evidenced by the size of the planet and astrophysical parameters - Jupiter is only 10 times smaller than our star. The planet rotates around its own axis quite quickly - only 10 Earth hours. The number of satellites, of which 67 have been identified to date, is also striking. The behavior of Jupiter and its moons is very similar to the model of the solar system. Such a number of natural satellites for one planet raises a new question: how many planets were there in the Solar System at the early stage of its formation. It is assumed that Jupiter, having a powerful magnetic field, turned some planets into its natural satellites. Some of them - Titan, Ganymede, Callisto and Io - are the largest satellites of the solar system and are comparable in size to the terrestrial planets.

Slightly smaller in size than Jupiter is its smaller brother, the gas giant Saturn. This planet, like Jupiter, consists mainly of hydrogen and helium - gases that are the basis of our star. With its size, the diameter of the planet is 57 thousand km, Saturn also resembles a protostar that has stopped in its development. The number of satellites of Saturn is slightly inferior to the number of satellites of Jupiter - 62 versus 67. Saturn's satellite Titan, like Io, a satellite of Jupiter, has an atmosphere.

In other words, the largest planets Jupiter and Saturn with their systems of natural satellites strongly resemble small solar systems, with their clearly defined center and system of movement of celestial bodies.

Behind the two gas giants come the cold and dark worlds, the planets Uranus and Neptune. These celestial bodies are located at a distance of 2.8 billion km and 4.49 billion km. from the Sun, respectively. Due to their enormous distance from our planet, Uranus and Neptune were discovered relatively recently. Unlike the other two gas giants, Uranus and Neptune contain large quantities of frozen gases - hydrogen, ammonia and methane. These two planets are also called ice giants. Uranus is smaller in size than Jupiter and Saturn and ranks third in the solar system. The planet represents the pole of cold of our star system. The average temperature on the surface of Uranus is -224 degrees Celsius. Uranus differs from other celestial bodies revolving around the Sun by its strong tilt on its own axis. The planet seems to be rolling, revolving around our star.

Like Saturn, Uranus is surrounded by a hydrogen-helium atmosphere. Neptune, unlike Uranus, has a different composition. The presence of methane in the atmosphere is indicated by the blue color of the planet's spectrum.

Both planets move slowly and majestically around our star. Uranus orbits the Sun in 84 Earth years, and Neptune orbits our star twice as long - 164 Earth years.

Finally

Our Solar System is a huge mechanism in which each planet, all satellites of the Solar System, asteroids and other celestial bodies move along a clearly defined route. The laws of astrophysics apply here and have not changed for 4.5 billion years. Along the outer edges of our solar system, dwarf planets move in the Kuiper belt. Comets are frequent guests of our star system. These space objects visit the inner regions of the Solar System with a periodicity of 20-150 years, flying within visibility range of our planet.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

The new words couldn’t fit into my head. It also happened that a natural history textbook set us the goal of remembering the location of the planets of the solar system, and we were already selecting means to justify it. Among the many options for solving this problem, there are several interesting and practical ones.

Mnemonics in its purest form

The ancient Greeks came up with a solution for modern students. It is not for nothing that the term “mnemonics” comes from a consonant Greek word, literally meaning “the art of remembering.” This art gave rise to a whole system of actions aimed at memorizing a large amount of information - “mnemonics”.

They are very convenient to use if you simply need to store in memory a whole list of any names, a list of important addresses or telephone numbers, or remember the sequence of location of objects. In the case of the planets of our system, this technique is simply irreplaceable.

We play association or “Ivan gave birth to a girl...”

Each of us remembers and knows this poem from elementary school. This is a mnemonic counting rhyme. We are talking about that couplet, thanks to which it becomes easier for a child to remember the cases of the Russian language - “Ivan Gave Birth to a Girl - Ordered to Drag the Diaper” (respectively - Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental and Prepositional).

Is it possible to do the same with the planets of the solar system? - Undoubtedly. Quite a large number of mnemonics have already been invented for this astronomical educational program. The main thing you need to know is that they are all based on associative thinking. For some it is easier to imagine an object similar in shape to the one being remembered, for others it is enough to imagine a chain of names in the form of a kind of “cipher”. Here are just a few tips on how best to record their location in memory, taking into account their distance from the central star.

Funny pictures

The order in which the planets of our star system move away from the Sun can be remembered through visual images. To begin, associate with each planet an image of an object or even a person. Then imagine these pictures one by one, in the sequence in which the planets are located inside the Solar System.

1. Mercury. If you have never seen images of this ancient Greek god, try to remember the late lead singer of the group “Queen” - Freddie Mercury, whose surname is similar to the name of the planet. It is unlikely, of course, that children can know who this uncle is. Then we suggest coming up with simple phrases where the first word would begin with the syllable MER, and the second with KUR. And they must necessarily describe specific objects, which will then become a “picture” for Mercury (this method can be used as the most extreme option with each of the planets).
2. Venus. Many people have seen the statue of Venus de Milo. If you show her to children, they will easily be able to remember this “armless aunt.” Plus, educate the younger generation. You can ask them to remember some acquaintance, classmate or relative with that name - in case there are such people in their social circle.
3. Earth. Everything is simple here. Everyone must imagine themselves, an inhabitant of the Earth, whose “picture” stands between two planets located in space before and after ours.
4. Mars. In this case, advertising can become not only an “engine of trade,” but also of scientific knowledge. We think you understand that you need to imagine the popular imported chocolate bar in place of the planet.
5. Jupiter. Try to imagine some landmark of St. Petersburg, for example, the Bronze Horseman. Yes, even though the planet begins in the south, the locals call the “Northern capital” St. Petersburg. For children, such an association may not be beneficial, so invent a phrase with them.
6. Saturn. Such a “handsome man” does not need any visual image, because everyone knows him as a planet with rings. If you still have difficulties, imagine a sports stadium with a running track. Moreover, such an association has already been used by the creators of one animated film on a space theme.
7. Uranus. The most effective in this case will be a “picture” in which someone is very happy about some achievement and seems to shout “Hurray!” Agree - every child is capable of adding one letter to this exclamation.
8. Neptune. Show your children the cartoon "The Little Mermaid" - let them remember Ariel's dad - the King with a mighty beard, impressive muscles and a huge trident. And it doesn’t matter that in the story His Majesty’s name is Triton. Neptune also had this tool in his arsenal.

Now, once again mentally imagine everything (or everyone) that reminds you of the planets of the solar system. Flip through these images, like pages in a photo album, from the first “picture”, which is closest to the Sun, to the last, whose distance from the star is the greatest.

“Look, what kind of rhymes have turned out...”

Now - to mnemonics, which are based on the “initials” of the planets. Remembering the order of the planets of the solar system is indeed easiest to do by the first letters. This type of “art” is ideal for those who have less developed imaginative thinking, but are fine with its associative form.

The most striking examples of versification in order to record the order of planets in memory are the following:

“The Bear Comes Out Behind the Raspberry - The Lawyer Managed to Escape the Lowlands”;
“We Know Everything: Yulia’s Mom Stood on Stilts in the Morning.”

You can, of course, not write a poem, but simply choose words for the first letters in the names of each of the planets. A little advice: in order not to confuse the places of Mercury and Mars, which begin with the same letter, put the first syllables at the beginning of your words - ME and MA, respectively.

For example: In some places Golden Cars could be seen, Julia seemed to see Us.

You can come up with such proposals ad infinitum - as much as your imagination allows. In a word, try, practice, remember...

Author of the article: Sazonov Mikhail

Our Solar System consists of the Sun, the planets orbiting it, and smaller celestial bodies. All of these are mysterious and surprising because they are still not fully understood. Below will be indicated the sizes of the planets of the solar system in ascending order, and a brief description of the planets themselves.

There is a well-known list of planets, in which they are listed in order of their distance from the Sun:

Pluto used to be in last place, but in 2006 it lost its status as a planet, as larger celestial bodies were found further away from it. The listed planets are divided into rocky (inner) and giant planets.

Brief information about rocky planets

The inner (rocky) planets include those bodies that are located inside the asteroid belt separating Mars and Jupiter. They got their name “stone” because they consist of various hard rocks, minerals and metals. They are united by a small number or absence of satellites and rings (like Saturn). On the surface of rocky planets there are volcanoes, depressions and craters formed as a result of the fall of other cosmic bodies.

But if you compare their sizes and arrange them in ascending order, the list will look like this:

Brief information about the giant planets

The giant planets are located beyond the asteroid belt and therefore are also called outer planets. They consist of very light gases - hydrogen and helium. These include:

But if you make a list by the size of the planets in the solar system in ascending order, the order changes:

A little information about the planets

In modern scientific understanding, a planet means a celestial body that revolves around the Sun and has sufficient mass for its own gravity. Thus, there are 8 planets in our system, and, importantly, these bodies are not similar to each other: each has its own unique differences, both in appearance and in the components of the planet themselves.

- This is the planet closest to the Sun and the smallest among the others. It weighs 20 times less than the Earth! But, despite this, it has a fairly high density, which allows us to conclude that there are a lot of metals in its depths. Due to its strong proximity to the Sun, Mercury is subject to sudden temperature changes: at night it is very cold, during the day the temperature rises sharply.

- This is the next planet closest to the Sun, in many ways similar to Earth. It has a more powerful atmosphere than Earth, and is considered a very hot planet (its temperature is above 500 C).

- This is a unique planet due to its hydrosphere, and the presence of life on it led to the appearance of oxygen in its atmosphere. Most of the surface is covered with water, and the rest is occupied by continents. A unique feature is the tectonic plates, which move, albeit very slowly, resulting in changes in the landscape. The Earth has one satellite - the Moon.

– also known as the “Red Planet”. It gets its fiery red color from a large amount of iron oxides. Mars has a very thin atmosphere and much lower atmospheric pressure compared to Earth. Mars has two satellites - Deimos and Phobos.

is a real giant among the planets of the solar system. Its weight is 2.5 times the weight of all the planets combined. The surface of the planet consists of helium and hydrogen and is in many ways similar to the sun. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is no life on this planet - there is no water and a solid surface. But Jupiter has a large number of satellites: 67 are currently known.

– This planet is famous for the presence of rings consisting of ice and dust revolving around the planet. With its atmosphere it resembles that of Jupiter, and in size it is slightly smaller than this giant planet. In terms of the number of satellites, Saturn is also slightly behind - it has 62 known. The largest satellite, Titan, is larger than Mercury.

- the lightest planet among the outer ones. Its atmosphere is the coldest in the entire system (minus 224 degrees), it has a magnetosphere and 27 satellites. Uranium consists of hydrogen and helium, and the presence of ammonia ice and methane has also been noted. Because Uranus has a high axial tilt, it appears as if the planet is rolling rather than rotating.

- despite its smaller size than , it is heavier and exceeds the mass of the Earth. This is the only planet that was found through mathematical calculations, and not through astronomical observations. The strongest winds in the solar system were recorded on this planet. Neptune has 14 moons, one of which, Triton, is the only one that rotates in the opposite direction.

It is very difficult to imagine the entire scale of the solar system within the limits of the studied planets. It seems to people that the Earth is a huge planet, and, in comparison with other celestial bodies, it is so. But if you place giant planets next to it, then the Earth already takes on tiny dimensions. Of course, next to the Sun, all celestial bodies appear small, so representing all the planets in their full scale is a difficult task.

The most famous classification of planets is their distance from the Sun. But a listing that takes into account the sizes of the planets of the Solar System in ascending order would also be correct. The list will be presented as follows:

As you can see, the order has not changed much: the inner planets are on the first lines, and Mercury occupies the first place, and the outer planets occupy the remaining positions. In fact, it doesn’t matter at all in what order the planets are located, this will not make them any less mysterious and beautiful.

This is the planet closest to the Sun, so the Sun shines on Mercury and heats it 7 times more than on Earth. On the day side of Mercury it is terribly hot, there is eternal heat. Measurements show that the temperature there rises to 400 degrees above zero. But on the night side there should always be severe frost, which probably reaches 200 degrees below zero. So, Mercury is the kingdom of deserts. One half of it is a hot stone desert, the other half is an icy desert, perhaps covered with frozen gases. The composition of the extremely rarefied atmosphere of Mercury includes: Ar, Ne, He. The surface of Mercury is similar in appearance to the Moon. When Mercury is far enough from the Sun it can be seen, low on the horizon. Mercury is never visible in a dark sky. It is best observed in the evening sky or before dawn. Mercury has no satellites. 80% of Mercury's mass is contained in its core, which is composed primarily of iron. The pressure at the surface of the planet is approximately 500 billion times less than at the surface of the Earth. It also turned out that Mercury has a weak magnetic field, the strength of which is only 0.7% of the Earth's. Mercury belongs to the terrestrial planets. In Roman mythology - the god of trade.

Venus


The second planet from the Sun, has an almost circular orbit. It passes closer to Earth than any other planet. But the dense, cloudy atmosphere does not allow you to directly see its surface. Atmosphere: CO 2 (97%), N2 (approx. 3%), H 2 O (0.05%), impurities CO, SO 2, HCl, HF. Thanks to the greenhouse effect, the surface temperature heats up to hundreds of degrees. The atmosphere, which is a thick blanket of carbon dioxide, traps heat coming from the Sun. This results in the temperature of the atmosphere being much higher than in the oven. Radar images show a very wide variety of craters, volcanoes and mountains. There are several very large volcanoes, up to 3 km high. and hundreds of kilometers wide. The outpouring of lava on Venus takes much longer than on Earth. The pressure at the surface is about 107 Pa. The surface rocks of Venus are similar in composition to terrestrial sedimentary rocks.
Finding Venus in the sky is easier than any other planet. Its dense clouds reflect sunlight well, making the planet bright in our sky. For a few weeks every seven months, Venus is the brightest object in the western sky in the evenings. Three and a half months later, it rises three hours earlier than the Sun, becoming the sparkling “morning star” of the eastern sky. Venus can be observed an hour after sunset or an hour before sunrise. Venus has no satellites.

Earth .

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- the third planet from the Sun. The speed of the Earth's revolution in an elliptical orbit around the Sun is 29.765 km/s. The inclination of the earth's axis to the ecliptic plane is 66 o 33 "22". The Earth has a natural satellite - . The Earth has magnetic and electric fields. The Earth was formed 4.7 billion years ago from gas and dust matter scattered in the protosolar system. As part of the Earth predominate: iron (34.6%), oxygen (29.5%), silicon (15.2%), magnesium (12.7%).The pressure in the center of the planet is 3.6 * 10 11 Pa, density is about 12 500 kg/m 3, temperature 5000-6000 o C. Most of the surface is occupied by the World Ocean (361.1 million km 2; 70.8%); land is 149.1 million km 2 and forms six continents and islands. It rises above sea level by an average of 875 meters (the highest altitude is 8848 meters - the city of Chomolungma).Mountains occupy 30% of the land, deserts cover about 20% of the land surface, savannas and woodlands - about 20%, forests - about 30%, glaciers - 10%. The average depth of the ocean is about 3800 meters, the greatest - 11022 meters (Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean), the volume of water is 1370 million km 3, the average salinity is 35 g / l. The Earth's atmosphere, the total mass of which is 5.15 * 10 15 tons, consists of air - a mixture mainly of nitrogen (78.1%) and oxygen (21%), the rest is water vapor, carbon dioxide, noble and other gases. About 3-3.5 billion years ago, as a result of the natural evolution of matter, life arose on Earth and the development of the biosphere began.

Mars .

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the fourth planet from the Sun, similar to Earth, but smaller and cooler. Mars has deep canyons, giant volcanoes, and vast deserts. There are two small moons flying around the Red Planet, as Mars is also called: Phobos and Deimos. Mars is the next planet after the Earth, if you count from the Sun, and the only cosmic world besides the Moon that can already be reached with the help of modern rockets. For astronauts, this four-year journey could represent the next frontier in space exploration. Near the equator of Mars, in an area called Tharsis, there are volcanoes of colossal size. Tarsis is the name that astronomers gave to the hill, which has 400 km. wide and about 10 km. in height. There are four volcanoes on this plateau, each of which is simply gigantic compared to any terrestrial volcano. The largest volcano on Tharsis, Mount Olympus, rises 27 km above the surrounding area. About two-thirds of Mars' surface is mountainous, with many impact craters surrounded by rock debris. Near the volcanoes of Tharsis, a vast system of canyons snakes around the length of about a quarter of the equator. The Valles Marineris is 600 km wide, and its depth is such that Mount Everest would sink entirely to its bottom. Sheer cliffs rise thousands of meters, from the valley floor to the plateau above. In ancient times, there was a lot of water on Mars; large rivers flowed across the surface of this planet. There are ice caps at the South and North Poles of Mars. But this ice does not consist of water, but of frozen atmospheric carbon dioxide (freezes at a temperature of -100 o C). Scientists believe that surface water is stored in the form of ice blocks buried in the ground, especially in polar regions. Atmospheric composition: CO 2 (95%), N 2 (2.5%), Ar (1.5 - 2%), CO (0.06%), H 2 O (up to 0.1%); pressure at the surface is 5-7 hPa. In total, about 30 interplanetary space stations were sent to Mars.

Jupiter - the largest planet.

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- the fifth planet from the Sun, the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is not a rocky planet. Unlike the four rocky planets closest to the Sun, Jupiter is a gas ball. Atmospheric composition: H 2 (85%), CH 4, NH 3, He (14%). Jupiter's gas composition is very similar to the sun's. Jupiter is a powerful source of thermal radio emission. Jupiter has 16 satellites (Adrastea, Metis, Amalthea, Thebe, Io, Lysithea, Elara, Ananke, Karme, Pasiphae, Sinope, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Leda, Himalia), as well as a ring 20,000 km wide, almost closely adjacent to planet. Jupiter's rotation speed is so high that the planet bulges along the equator. In addition, this rapid rotation causes very strong winds in the upper atmosphere, where clouds stretch out into long, colorful ribbons. There are a very large number of vortex spots in the clouds of Jupiter. The largest of them, the so-called Great Red Spot, is larger than the Earth. The Great Red Spot is a huge storm in Jupiter's atmosphere that has been observed for 300 years. Inside the planet, under enormous pressure, hydrogen turns from a gas into a liquid, and then from a liquid into a solid. At a depth of 100 km. there is a boundless ocean of liquid hydrogen. Below 17,000 km. hydrogen is compressed so tightly that its atoms are destroyed. And then it begins to behave like metal; in this state it easily conducts electricity. The electric current flowing in metallic hydrogen creates a strong magnetic field around Jupiter.

Saturn .

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The sixth planet from the Sun, has an amazing ring system. Due to its rapid rotation around its axis, Saturn seems to be flattened at the poles. Wind speeds at the equator reach 1800 km/h. The width of Saturn's rings is 400,000 km, but they are only a few tens of meters thick. The inner parts of the rings rotate around Saturn faster than the outer ones. The rings are primarily made up of billions of small particles, each orbiting Saturn as its own microscopic satellite. These "micro-satellites" are likely made of water ice or rocks covered in ice. Their size ranges from a few centimeters to tens of meters. There are also larger objects in the rings - stone blocks and fragments up to hundreds of meters in diameter. The gaps between the rings arise under the influence of the gravitational forces of seventeen moons (Hyperion, Mimas, Tethys, Titan, Enceladus, etc.), which cause the rings to split. The composition of the atmosphere includes: CH 4, H 2, He, NH 3.

Uranus .

- the seventh planet from the Sun. It was discovered in 1781 by the English astronomer William Herschel, and named after the Greek god of the sky, Uranus. The orientation of Uranus in space differs from the other planets of the solar system - its axis of rotation lies, as it were, “on its side” relative to the plane of revolution of this planet around the Sun. The axis of rotation is inclined at an angle of 98 o. As a result, the planet faces the Sun alternately with the north pole, the south, the equator, and the middle latitudes. Uranus has more than 27 satellites (Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, Oberon, Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Belinda, Peck, etc.) and a system of rings. At the center of Uranus is a core made of rock and iron. The composition of the atmosphere includes: H 2, He, CH 4 (14%).

Neptune .

- its orbit intersects with Pluto's orbit in some places. The equatorial diameter is the same as that of Uranus, although Neptune is located 1627 million km further from Uranus (Uranus is located 2869 million km from the Sun). Based on these data, we can conclude that this planet could not be noticed in the 17th century. One of the striking achievements of science, one of the evidence of the unlimited cognition of nature was the discovery of the planet Neptune through calculations - “at the tip of a pen.” Uranus, the planet next to Saturn, which for many centuries was considered the most distant planet, was discovered by W. Herschel at the end of the 18th century. Uranus is hardly visible to the naked eye. By the 40s of the XIX century. accurate observations have shown that Uranus deviates barely noticeably from the path it should follow, taking into account the disturbances from all the known planets. Thus, the theory of the movement of celestial bodies, so strict and accurate, was put to the test. Le Verrier (in France) and Adams (in England) suggested that if disturbances from the known planets do not explain the deviation in the movement of Uranus, it means that the attraction of an as yet unknown body acts on it. They almost simultaneously calculated where behind Uranus there should be an unknown body producing these deviations with its gravity. They calculated the orbit of the unknown planet, its mass and indicated the place in the sky where the unknown planet should have been located at that time. This planet was found through a telescope at the place they indicated in 1846. It was named Neptune. Neptune is not visible to the naked eye. On this planet, winds blow at speeds of up to 2400 km/h, directed against the rotation of the planet. These are the strongest winds in the solar system.
Atmospheric composition: H 2, He, CH 4. Has 6 satellites (one of them is Triton).
Neptune is the god of the seas in Roman mythology.

The planets in the solar system, as can be seen from the descriptions, are all different from each other. Scientists also discover planets around other stars; they are called exoplanets.

Sources:
www.kosmos19.narod.ru
www.ggreen.chat.ru
http://ru.wikipedia.org